A Trip to the Spa
by Fairyfinder
Summary: Holly has been working too hard so Foaly insists she takes a vacation. The vacation doesn't turn out so well. Opal is everywhere! This comes before right after TTP and before TAC.


**I don't own any of the characters from Artemis Fowl. If I did own them I would make Mulch do a jig while eating a lollipop. **

Holly Short glanced out her window. There was Haven. Still in one piece, for now. What if it wasn't when she got back? Things like that could happen.

"That's silly! The city won't fall apart if I'm gone for two days. I hope." Holly chided herself.

She packed her Neutrino just in case.

Obviously Holly was going on vacation. Foaly had told her that she needed it after he had said "Opal Koboi" and Holly threw him to the ground and rolled both of them under a desk shouting, "Get down!"

Holly admitted that she had been a little high strung since the younger Koboi had escaped. The elf had arrested three pixies that week because they looked mildly like Opal.

Commander Vinyaya had forced Holly to take a vacation. Holly finally relented.

Several decades ago Holly had acquired a gift certificate for an expensive spa in Atlantis. The certificate allowed for two people to get in at half price. Foaly's wife, Caballine, had volunteered to go.

After Holly had finished packing she went to the shopping area, the rendezvous point where Caballine would be. Both the females loaded their luggage onto the shuttle scheduled to leave for Atlantis.

"Caballine, I'm so glad Foaly insisted that we go to the spa. I really do need a vacation." Holly laughed.

"Well I'm glad that you decided to let me come along! I know you probably have a friend from work you would have rather taken along." Caballine noted.

"Actually, no. Most of the people from work are males. The only females there are conceded and arrogant." Holly chuckled, remembering a new female sprite who had attempted to walk across the firing range. While the officers were firing. The girl had gotten across with the help of a medical gnome.

Caballine and Holly had several laughs on the way to the spa. Holly was glad Vinyaya had made her go. Even if the city just might fall to the ground while she was away. Well Holly was glad until she got to Atlantis.

When the passengers had exited the shuttle it was chaos. Everyone was taking pictures and screaming.

"I knew this wouldn't work! We should catch the next shuttle back, Caballine." Holly moaned.

"Don't be silly. We'll get through this crowd eventually and then we'll head straight for the spa." Caballine yelled over the din.

Once they were clear of the tourists Holly started to relax. The spa was only one block away, what could possibly happen in the short amount of time it took to get there? Actually a lot could happen.

As Caballine clopped along Holly noticed a dark haired pixie in front of her. Of course most pixies had dark hair, but this one's skin seemed so pale and delicate. The way she walked reminded Holly of someone. But who? Across the street some child giggled loudly and the pixie turned to look. Holly gasped.

It was Opal!

Holly tackled the pixie quickly and snapped some hand cuffs on her.

"Hey! What's the big idea mate?" Said the "pixie".

Holly blinked. Opal was now a fat old sea sprite.

"Uh, I'm very sorry sir. My mistake." Holly muttered.

The sprite got up and walked grumpily away.

"Holly! What were you thinking?!" Caballine hissed.

"I don't know what happened! The sprite looked exactly like Opal just a minute ago!" Holly complained.

"It must have been a hallucination. Are you okay?" Caballine said, checking Holly for a fever.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It won't happen again." Holly said, waving Caballine away.

The centaur insisted Holly sit down for a minute. Holly complied irritably. As she sat down she noticed a pixie across the street that had long black hair. The pixie turned and smiled at Holly.

It was Opal!

Holly turned to see a Mulch shaped Opal picking Caballine's pocket!

The elf glanced up at Caballine and found instead an Opal with a horse body!

All around Holly Opals grinned wickedly at her.

The Caballine Opal leaned down to her, "Are you alright?" Then it laughed evilly.

Holly leaped off of the bench and sprinted away from all the Opals, just to run into another Opal. This one had a gnome body!

"Get out of my way!" It yelled.

Holly darted around it and tripped on a curb. She fell on her face and felt blood coming from her nose. Her knee hurt too but that didn't stop her from running away from a crowd of Opals wearing "Save the Puppies" t-shirts.

Holly ran as far as she could and then collapsed on the ground having run out of energy. The Opals surrounded her.

"Leave me alone Opal! I'm too weak to fight!" Holly screeched.

"What are you talking about?" Said one Opal.

"I think she broke out of the nut house that's down the street." Another said.

"If she's a wacko then we should call in the police!" Shrieked a fat Opal.

"Look at the uniform, she is the police!" The first Opal commented.

"This nut job is in the force? Wow, police standards have really dropped." Fat Opal said dryly.

Holly was shaking with fear, "Opal! Stop tormenting me! Either kill me now or let me go!" Holly moaned pitifully.

"Kill her? Why would we do that?" Opal number one said.

"We should take her to the hospital!" Declared Fat Opal.

Holly gave a small groan and passed out.

When she woke she was in a hospital bed with Caballine, Mulch, and a doctor surrounding her.

"Where am I? What happened to Opal?" Holly grumbled.

"You had a traumatic experience. You seemed to be hallucinating. What is the last thing you remember?" The doctor asked.

"There were thousands of Opal Kobois chasing me around and then I fell down and they surrounded me." Holly said with a shiver.

The doctor nodded his head. "A hallucination. It was probably brought on by stress. Have you been working hard lately?"

Caballine chuckled, "This is her first vacation in years! Ever since she met Artemis it's been nothing but near death experiences."

"Ah, that would definitely do it. You need to relax. I suggest a trip to the spa." The doctor said with a laugh.

"What's Mulch doing here?" Holly asked, "I highly doubt he would come to visit me in the hospital."

"Well it's kind of become a habit of mine, saving you and Artemis. I just couldn't stop myself from saving you by dragging you to the hospital." Mulch said proudly.

"He was attempting to take my purse when you started running so I dragged him along with me in case you wanted to arrest him." Caballine said with a roll of her eyes.

"How embarrassing this whole thing has been!" Holly said, burying her face in her hands, "At least Artemis wasn't here, that would have made it unbearable!"

"You'll probably start hallucinating Artemis following you around laughing now!" Mulch commented.

Holly glanced up and shrieked.

"What's wrong now?" Artemis' head on Mulch's body asked.

THE END


End file.
